Final update and thoughts from Dave on SE Asia

Hi,
I'm writing this from home, having returned to Calgary on May 11. Although this SE Asia trip is over, I now know what I always suspected. I have the "travel bug" bad, and will continue doing this type of backpacking travel for as long as I can. I view this 4 month trip as the "maiden voyage", and will start planning the next trip almost immediately. Whether it will be to South America, or India and Nepal, I don't know yet. I do know it will be another great adventure.

I met some amazing people along the way, and I'd like to thank those special travel companions who really made this journey so interesting. Please keep in touch, and let me know how your own adventures are going.

The final couple weeks in SE Asia where great. Although Bali was even more touristy than I expected, I made a trip to the Gilli Islands off the coast of Lombok, which was absolutely stunning. It was a long day-trip (11 hours) to get there from Ubud, Bali but well worth it. As I left Lombok at 6pm on the final leg of the trip to the tiny island of Gili Air, I knew this was going to be something special. I arrived with only 5 others in a small wooden boat, just as the sun was setting, lighting up the island with a warm red glow. All 3 Gili islands are free of cars and motorbikes, and the only way to get around is to walk, rent a bike, or take one of the numerous horse-drawn carriage's. I walked around the island on the maze of walking/bike trails in the forest, swam off the many deserted white sand beaches, snorkeled right from shore, lounged on the deck of my simple wooden beach bungalow just listening to the crash of ocean waves, and songs of the tropical birds. There are lots of locals on this island, but few Westerners as it is off-season. After a couple days, I move location to the sunset side of the island and stayed in a simple wooden bungalow right on a deserted beach. I enjoyed walking the island pathways to get to the restaurants on the far side of the island. The food was great and beer was cheap. I hung out at my favorite beach cafe which made the best Fish Curry.

I splurged a bit in Kuta, Bali and stayed at a nice little place with a swimming pool and lush garden. This was a bit of a change from my usual budget digs. I flew back up to Phuket, Thailand which was pretty touristy, as I knew it would be. But I stayed in Phuket Town, rather than the resort areas, and was surprised how much I enjoyed this little town. It has a great local market and some really great Thai places to eat. I enjoyed just sitting in a little cafe in the Market watching the local action. I did spend a couple days at the beaches of Patong, Karon, and Kata, which were a short bus ride away. The beaches are huge clean, white sand. Karon Beach is 4 km of fine, white sand, with few people as it was off-season.

It was a bit of a long flight back to Calgary (27 hours with stopovers), but compared with local Indonesian buses it was a breeze.

The editing of over 5000 photos was pretty time consuming, but is now complete.

My Blog for this trip is at
http://dneame-adventures.blogspot.com/

Cheers,
Dave Neame
Calgary, Canada
daveneame@gmail.com

Climbing a volcano in Java

Hi,

Lots more adventures since I last wrote...

1. Climbed a volcano in the island of Java. We started at 4am to get to the top for sunrise. I decided to hike up, rather than takes the jeeps which just seemed way too touristy for me. Well, I got lost. Yep, I couldn't find the trail markers in the 4am darkness in the "sea of sand" on the way to the cone of the volcano, even with a headlamp. I must say, that I really started to wonder if I had made the right choice.... alone, in the dark, lost in a volcanic crater in the middle of Java, and the terrain was starting to get more difficult. Well, I started climbing up a mountain, but didn't know if it was the correct peak. As the sun started to come up, I saw the summit, but not until I was at the top, did I realize where I was. I had climbed the wrong peak. Luckily, the correct summit was an easy scramble from where I was.
The horde of jeep tourists had gone to a different viewpoint first and wouldn't arrive for a couple hours.
It was pretty amazing being up there alone, watching the sunrise light up all the peaks in the area.

2. Took a bus trip from Java to Bali, which was supposed to take 9 hours. It ended up taking 15 hours, some of it with no AC in 35c temps. I felt totally baked. We finally arrived at 2am after having to charter a truck from some very sketchy individuals at midnight, to go the final 50k. Local buses here can really be pretty painful.

3. Traveled with an Australian guy in his 70's. Really interesting man, who has traveled for 2 months every year for the past 15 years. He lives on an island off the east coast of the Gold Coast in Australia.

4. Got asked to join a University tour group in Jogjakarta, Indonesia by a bunch of giggly teenage Muslim girls. We toured Borobudur, one of the most interesting ancient Buddhist Temple in SE Asia. Their professor provided really good background information to the sights. A really fun group of students.

A few more photos are posted at
https://photos.app.goo.gl/72JfgUDSySBACoEa8

Cheers,
Dave

Malaysia breakfast - spicy coconut soup with bean sprouts, quail eggs, prawns, shredded chicken and dried bean curd

Hi,

I'm currently in Melaka, Malaysia, and will fly to Jogjakarta, Indonesia in a couple days.

For breakfast today I had Laksa, which is a noodle dish in a spicy coconut soup with bean sprouts, quail eggs, prawns, shredded chicken and dried bean curd. Let me tell you, it sure beats oatmeal porridge.

I recently spent 4 days relaxing on a remote Andaman Sea island National Park in the south of Thailand. I stayed in a very basic bamboo hut(the only accommodation available), which was shared with 3 twenty year old Swedish guys. We did some sea kayaking, jungle trekking, and mtn biking. The powdery white sand beaches, and clear blue waters, and lined with jungle forests. Lots of monkey, lizards, sea eagles, and colorful birds. There might have been 20 westerners on the whole island. I didn take many photos, but have posted a few more photos from Georgetown, Malaysia and Melaka.

Photos
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xELeGCDaxTcXwaRA9

Thoughts by Dave #2 - What makes SE Asia really interesting

Hi,

A few more thoughts on what makes SE Asia really interesting for me.

31. The friendly people of the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam waving and laughing as I floated through the narrow river channels. And yes, the women all wear the pointed conical rice hats. I wanted to get one, but apparently men don't wear them.

32. Crossing the streets in Saigon. I thought I knew how to cross a street, but I was wrong. With a solid flow of hundreds of motorbikes, I stood for 20 minutes waiting for a gap that would never come. After watching the locals carefully, I finally got across the street. The trick is to step very slowly into the oncoming traffic(yep, you heard me), while looking directly at the motorbikes heading straight at you. You keep moving very slowly at the same pace, without stopping or pausing. The traffic just flows around you. If you stop, change your pace, or run, you're dead ! To practice, I stood beside a local who seemed to know what she was doing. At least she had the pointed hat.  While we crossed 30 lanes of motorbike traffic, I stayed within a few inches of her. When she looked at me and realized I didn't know how to cross the street by myself, we both started laughing like crazy. I was eventually able to cross the street by myself. It takes a bit of nerve and concentration, but it works, and is the only way to "safely" cross any major street in Saigon.

33. Vietnamese Coffee. It will strip the enamel from your teeth, but if you like strong coffee, my God is it good. They make a version where the coffee beans are fed to Weasels and the beans are collected from the excrement. No word of a lie! I've tried it and it's very tasty. Mmmmm, weasel.

34. Hiking through the mountains in northern Vietnam, and meeting and talking with the Hill tribe people. Communication is pretty basic, but smiles go a long way.

35. Getting lost in the maze of trails thought rain forests and rice paddies in the mountains of Northern Vietnam. Off-trail means hiking on the narrow dams around the rice paddies, which requires good balance or you end up in the mud. But you can always ask directions from the friendly hill-tribe people and sometimes even get pointed in the right direction.

36. The upright posture and confidence of beautiful Vietnamese women riding mopeds in the insane traffic, with their traditional long, white, silk gowns flowing around them.

37. Climbing down to a fresh water Lagoon in the center of a tiny, jungle covered island in the Andaman Sea. The descent involved hanging onto vines and ropes that someone had left behind. The lagoon was surrounded by 100 meter limestone cliffs full of caverns and huge stalactites hanging almost down to the surface of the water. The walls where covered with giant ferns and vines. The calls of tropical birds echoed off the cliff walls, as a steaming mist rose from the waters. When it started to rain heavily, I knew the steep, slippery route back up the ropes would be interesting.

38. Kayaking through a maze-like Mangrove Forest on a seldom visited tropical island in the Andaman Sea. Three Swedes and I were on a 'Quest' to find a cave once inhabited by Salt Water Crocodiles. Although we never found it, the monkeys, large green snakes, and lizards kept the search interesting. Getting lost in the maze of mangroves channels, while the tide was going out made the journey a memorable adventure.

39. Sitting on a deserted 2 km long beach of squeaky, powder white sands, and watching the setting sun change the colors of the world from deep blues and vibrant greens, to warm reds and oranges.

40. Sitting on a remote tropical beach at night, watching distant lightening bolts on the horizon, as they pierced the surface of the sea and illuminating the water and sky.

Cheers,
Dave

Vietnam and Beaches of Thailand

Hi,

Not sure what the weather is like in Calgary, but check out the Beach photos from southern Thailand..... ha ha ha.... :)

Since I last checked in, I flew from Hanoi to Bangkok, and then took a train to the Adaman Sea in the south of Thailand. Did some amazing sea kayaking in a Mangrove forest, and some great snorkeling near Phi Phi Islands. Time is just flying by.

Cheers,

Dave

Sapa, Vietnam - mist covered mountains, rice terraces, and hill-tribe people

Hi,
Having a great time in Vietnam. It's definitely one of the highlights of this trip.

I'm currently in the mountainous north, and it's much cooler than Cambodia or Laos. I've been hiking for the past couple days, enjoying the amazing scenery with mist covered mountains, rice terraces, and beautiful hill-tribe people. I originally planned on hiring a guide, but after talking to other travelers, decided to hike on my own, which let me go at my own pace, and enables me to interact the local hill-tribe people. I did get lost a few times in the maze of trails in the rice paddies, and ending up hiking along the rice paddy dams. You really need good balance or you'll end up getting pretty muddy.

I also hired a motorcycle (with driver this time) and rode over the highest pass in Vietnam to some remote villages. An amazing day with no other westerners in site.

I've finally been able to post a few more photos at
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6tcoYyqDxMk77JXE6

Man, next time I'm definitely going to bring a mini laptop. These internet cafe computers are crap. (256 meg of RAM, and full of viruses). I've already had my Gmail password hacked, and internet banking would be frighteningly dangerous.

Cheers,
Dave

Dave is in Hanoi

Hi,

Just a quick note from northern Vietnam. I just got back from 4 days in Halong Bay, travelling with a boat-builder from England. Ho-long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site which has thousands of limestone karst islands, towers, caves, and cliffs. We slept on a "Junk (aka, Chinese style boat), and hired a guide for a day of sea kayaking among the karst limestone towers and bays. It's really a spectacular area. Sorry, I haven't posted any photos yet.

Off to Sapa in northern Vietnam tomorrow.

Cheers,

Dave

Met up with Victoria from London

Over the past few days I've been traveling with Victoria, a really nice girl from England. We're off to the Full Moon festival in Hoi-An, Vietnam tonight. This is an ancient city on the coast, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's an ancient celebration that should be a lot of fun. Food is fabulous in Vietnam, and this ancient city is really amazing.

Cheers,

Dave

Escape from the steaming heat of Saigon to the cool highlands around Dalat

Hi,
Had a great time in Dalat, Vietnam. It was a perfect place to explore the cooler highlands, and retreat from the steaming heat of Saigon. Man, my energy level went way up with the cooler temps (20-25c).

I'm at a beach-town on the coast right now(Nga Trang), and spent the past couple days swimming, snorkeling, taking a boat tour of some nearby islands, and just relaxing on the beach. Off tomorrow to Hoi Ann, an ancient city on the coast.

Meeting lots of Vietnamese folks who now live in the US, who escaped the chaos of post war Vietnam in the late 1970's, and are now returning to visit relatives and their hometowns. Pretty amazing stories.

Cheers,
Dave

Quick note from Dave in Vietnam

Hi,

 

Just a quick note.  I've left the steaming heat and motorbike madness of Saigon, and am currently in Dalat, in the highlands 6 hours north of Saigon.  Dalat is in a spectacular location with lots of lake, waterfalls, and pine covered forests.   Yesterday I toured around the area by motorbike and really loved the twisting, hilly roads.  I rode up to a hightop pagoda for an amazing veiw of the area, and road to some minority villages which had no tourists at all.

 

It's actually pretty cool here.  I had to wear my softshell and long pants for only the 2nd time in 7 weeks.  On the bus ride here, it rained for only the 2nd time in 7 weeks, and this time it really poured - monsoon type rain.  Everything is much greener here, and the air is really fresh.

 

The food and coffee is great in Vietnam.  Much better than Laos or Cambodia. I love the Vietnamese coffee.  It will take the enamel right off your teeth  :)   It's called Cafe Fin, and is served in its own little filter pot, with a pot of ginger tea as a chaser for digestion.  Cost is 5000 Dong or about 30c.

 

Tomorrow I'm off to Nga Trang, a seaside town with a huge white sand beach.

 

Cheers,

Dave

Mekong Delta - Man-oh-man it really is HOT here

Hi,

I'm currently in Saigon, having spent 3 weeks in Cambodia and a week in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Man-oh-man it's really hot here. I decide to look at my little thermometer which said my room was only 30c last night. That felt a little cool (needed a light blanket), so maybe I'm getting acclimatized.. :)

I've posted a few more photos at
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6tcoYyqDxMk77JXE6

Cheers,
Dave

Thoughts from Dave - what makes SE Asia really amazing

What makes SE Asia really amazing

-by Dave

1. A working elephant and its Mahmoud lumbering along a village street, passing within a few feet of a group of children playing a game of marbles in the dirt road.

2. A small boy proudly carrying his large, brightly colored pet rooster.

3. Multi-colored Tuk-tuks, so brightly painted they would make the psychedelic colors of the hippy era look dull.

4. The very laid-back and unassuming character of the people of Laos.

5. Sitting beside a Buddhist Monk in his bright orange robe, on a 7 hour local bus ride thru the mountains, while both of us listen to our iPods.

6. Meeting fellow travelers who have been exploring our world for years, and have no intent on stopping.

7. Getting a vigorous Thai massage after 2 days floating down the Mekong River and sitting on benches had of the hardest wood known to man.

8. Getting a haircut in a street stall. You'll looks like Mao and blend in much better.

9. Sharing the simple hut of a remote hill tribe family and sleeping on their bamboo floor, after having trekked for 2 days without seeing another westerner.

10. Talking for over an hour with a novice monk, originally from a tiny farming village, about his career goals of getting into a high-tech computer career.

11. Learning from our trekking guide how to make a fire by rubbing 2 pieces of bamboo together. Well, I may not have made actual fire, but I did make a lot of smoke.

12. Watching the fiery colors of the sun sinking into the Mekong, while sitting at a riverside cafe drinking an ice cold beer.

13. Finally getting used to squat toilets and finding them not that bad at all. The ones with a spray wash are actually pretty refreshing... :)

14. Savoring a spicy stir fry, or fiery Thai Curry at one of the great restaurants in Chiang Mai.

15. Taking a Thia cooking course.

16. Learning to ride a small motorbike and heading off into the hills to explore back road villages and remote waterfalls.

17. Sharing the carnival atmosphere of the local night festival, which has attracted hundreds of hill tribe families from miles around, and being one of only a very few westerners. Throwing darts in a balloon game alongside Long-neck women and girls who were having a blast.

18. Riding an escalator with a group of older monks in front of me, and watching them jump when the escalator reached the floor level. They laughed as they looked back and were a bit surprised they had come out unharmed.

19. A family of 5 people on a 100cc motorbike, with the kids sandwiched between mom and dad, and a basket of chickens hanging off the back.

20. Waling along a jungle trail, and then meeting a solitary monk praying at a small mountain stupa. Talked with him about reaching nirvana. Actually, he was pretty strange, in an innocent and good way. He had just walked alone for 5 days thru a very remote area. He gave me 3 stones to hold while he closed his eyes, held my hands and asked me to accept the power flowing from him.

21. Waking in the morning to find I had a room-mate. She was about 6" in diameter, and had 8 very hairy legs. She was quite shy and also seemed as surprised as I was.

22. Watching the little children running and waving to meet our boat on the Mekong river.

23. Having puppies sit quietly beside you while you eat, looking up at you hopefully. Having little kittens purr and brush around your legs as you sit eating at a roadside table in a night market.

25. Taking a 10 hr sleeper bus, where everyone lays flat, and having to push away a local male who wanted to cuddle.

26. Swimming in the pool at the bottom of a waterfall in the jungles of southern Laos. The only other people around were locals from the area who don't swim.

27. Taking a motorbike to a remote location on the Mekong River, and finding some sandbars to swim from, while watching freshwater Dolphins.

28. Drinking beers and having dinner at a Mekong riverfront cafe, while talking with a Vietnam vet. He is travelling around, doing art, and coming to terms with what he did during the war.

29. Riding on the back of a motorcycle taxi in Phnom Penh's chaotic rush hour traffic.

30. The emotional impact of visiting the Killing Fields and S-21 hell on earth Torture Prison. Trying to understand the insanity of humanity at its worst. Over 2 million innocent Cambodians were executed by the Khmer Rouge, while the world stood by and did nothing.

Vietnam Vet

The other day I spent a few hours drinking beers at a Mekong River cafe in Laos, and talking with a really interesting guy.
Larry is about 60, from Philadelphia, and got drafted into the Vietnam war when he was a student at College.  Now he is an Arts Professor, and is on a 1 year sabbatical doing research for his artform, which is abstract representations of his experiences in SE Asia.

He tried to dodge the draft by going to Canada, but ended up going back to school, and then got drafted and sent to Vietnam.  He was full of stories such as jumping out of Huey Helicopter into rice fields, buddies getting killed, heroin, marijuana, categories of soldiers (lifers, freaks, and bloods).  We discussed US politics and why it gone completely insane at some points in history.  He was a really interesting guys, and we went for dinner a few times while in the 4 Thousands Islands part of southern Laos.

Thoughts by Dave - riding bicycles and motorbikes in SE Asia

Thoughts by Dave - riding bicycles and motorbikes in SE Asia

I have really enjoyed the freedom of having either a bicycle or motorbike.  I like to stop often and usually don't go over 60 kph very often.  The bicycles so far have been 1-speed heavy clunkers with front baskets, too small for me, and suitable only if there are no hills.  Although they where a great way to get around the temples and Angkor Wat because it's totally flat.

You really have to stay alert and expect the un-expected such as:
1.  Animals crossing the road - chickens, pigs, cows, goats, water buffalo, and little kids
2.  Scooters and cars driving on the wrong side coming straight at you - you need to slow up, make room and let them by, that's how it works over here.  Left or right, doesn't really mater, whatever works best.  When turning left on a busy road, people don't stop and wait for any opening (which would never come anyways), but turn left into oncoming traffic but staying close to the curb. When an opening comes, they cross to the right lane.   So when riding, you always have motos and bikes coming right at you... you just let them go by on the curb side.   Weird, and sounds dangerous, but it actually works.
3.  Slow moving farm carts pulling in front of you without looking. 
4.  Fast moving express buses taking both lanes - let them by as they don't slow down or get out of the way
5.  Women in their 20's riding scooters while holding sun umbrellas and talking on their cellphones
6.  Teenage girls riding side by side gossiping away and totally oblivious of the traffic
7.  The odd testosterone male on a souped up bike, screaming in and out of traffic like he's playing a computer racing game
8.  Busy intersections are the worst, with bicycles, scooters, cars, trucks all moving from 4 directions at once - I try to follow another scooter who seems to know what he's doing.  I went thru one busy intersection only to be engulfed in a sea of mopeds all heading across a bridge in a direction I didn't want to go - I had no choice but to keep it steady and slow and go with the flow.  It took me 1/2 hour to recross the bridge again and get back on the right route.

Angor Wat, Cambodia

Hi,

Still having a great time, although got a bit of traveller's diareha...antibiotics fixed me up in a day.

It's getting quite a bit hotter now that I'm heading south, and coming out of the highlands of Northern Thailand and Laos. I've been sweating pretty much constantly, since entering Cambodia. I can't imagine what the hot season is like... much be brutal. Not much swimming yet as most of the rivers are pretty polluted, but did find a couple nice places of the Mekong to swim and cool off

My spelling may be a bit off, as I keep forgetting my glasses, and in some of these hot, steamy internet cafes, I sometime have no idea what I'm typing. Having to wear glasses really is a pain.

Visited a couple of small towns in northern Cambodia which had almost no westerners. Getting off the beaten path a bit is a real adventure and I love meeting the locals without the Touts trying to sell stuff, which you get in the more touristy places.

I'm spending the next 3 days exploring the ruins of Angor Wat, a huge complex of ancient ruins in the middle of the Cambodian jungle. It's pretty touristy, but tomorrow I'll rent a bike which should allow me to get away from the crowds a bit.

I've met lots of travelers, mostly much younger of course, but they are usually very friendly and invite me to join them for dinner and nights out. I usually decline on the partying, as us old guys need our beauty rest. The guesthouses I stay at are usually full of people from all over the world, traveling on a budget. Some really interesting people.

Still can't seem to make these internet cafe computers work for downloading more photos.

Photos
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vtekBt9e5CYfixsi6

Cheers,

Dave

Dave is in Cambodia

Hi,

Just a quick not to let you know that I left Laos a couple days ago, and am now in northern Cambodia. Laos was great. The nicest people you can imagine... quiet, unassuming, and very friendly and helpful.

Rented a motorbike today and toured the rural areas and villages around the town of Kratie. I really like getting off the beaten path, and these small villages in northern Cambodia are really amazing. Very few other westerners, no tourist attractions.... just a glimpse of real life. Off to another small town tomorrow. In a week or so I'll get back on the tourist route and visit Angor Wat in Siem Reap.

The internet connection I'm on right now is painfully slow, so I'll wait to post more photos.

Cheers,

Dave

Getting off the beaten path in Laos

Hi,

Although the internet connections in Laos are pretty slow, I've been able to post a few photos from Laos at
https://photos.app.goo.gl/D8ZEv7uWcEsmuvXt9

I'm just getting over a cold.... not sure how I got that when its 30c out.

Laos is much less developed than Thailand, and I'm really enjoying getting off the beaten path a bit. I'm meeting and interacting with the local people much more in less touristy places. Currently in Vientiene on the Mekong River. I don't think this town has changed much in 30 years. Just a nice place to chill out and relax. Meeting lots of interesting people, both locals and other travellers. Food is not as good in Laos as in Thailand, but a big "Beer Lao" is about $1 US, and a 1 hour massage is about $4 US. That usually keeps me going. :)

I'll probably stay here a few days, and then another 12 hour bus to a place called "The Four Thousand Islands".... literally 4 thousand islands in the Mekong delta. Don't think too many tourists get down that way. Into Cambodia from the north after that.

Cheers,

Dave

Dave is in Luang Prabang, Laos

Hi,

Just a quick update...

I'm currently in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is less developed than Thailand, and really quite amazing. I took the 2 day Slow Boat down the Mekong Rive. It was a bit "uncomfortable" with wooden benches. Bought a cushion to sit on. But the scenery made it all worthwhile. Lots of fishermen, little villages, and kids playing of the sandy banks. The Mekong River is 5000 km long and winds it's way from Nepal, China, Laos, Cambodia, and finally into Vietnam. We stopped at a tiny village for the night, and I slept like a log.

Heading to Vientiane tomorrow (10 hours by bus). I booked the "VIP luxury bus". Hopefully it will be a lot more comfortable than the local chicken buses.

Glad to hear it's been cold in Calgary. The only thing cold here is the icy beers while sitting at riverfront cafes. Ha Ha.

Cheers,
Dave

Hill-tribe trek in Northern Thailand with 2 stewardesses from Spain

Did a 2-day trek into the hill tribe villages near the Burmese border north of Pai, Thailand. We had a small group of 4, including 2 stewardesses from Spain, the Guide and myself. The hiking was harder than I thought it would be, because of the heat, humidity, and elevation. Staying with hill-tribe families in the villages was the highlight. The guide was fantastic.

Northern Thailand has been great. I'm off to Laos tonight.

Cheers,
Dave

Thoughts on Riding a Motorbike in SE Asia

Riding a Motorbike in SE Asia
Well, I told myself I would not do this, but what the hell. Hey, you see whole families riding along on the same motorbike. People even carry little babies in their arms while driving, while talking on cell phones, and negotiating the worst traffic you can imagine. I've seem 5 people on one bike, with the kids squished between the adults. Not a problem.
Anyways, Tamar and I took a short 15-minute lesson and off we went. We started in a small town, so the traffic really was not bad compared with Bangkok or Chiang Mai. I had studied the traffic-patterns while sitting in a cafe, and although it looks frightening at first, it's really more like "controlled chaos". Apparently the way to negotiate Thai traffic is a combination of Rules and Courtesy. Courtesy overrides rules. Rules are really only suggestions. At intersections, the traffic flows pretty much constantly from all 4 directions at once. They drive slow and steady, with no sudden starts, stops, or sudden turns. When turning, you gradually just move over into the next lane. Signaling, of course, is not something anyone does, so is useless.
Tamar and I rode up into the mountains on little automatic motorbikes. It was actually pretty easy, if you really stay alert. We climbed 3000' up twisting, steep roads up into the mountains on the Thai-Burmese border. The scenery was stunning...with waterfalls, huge jungle trees, and hill-tribe villages.
I wore a helmet, but few Thais bother with this. Of course, as Buddhists, they believe in re-incarnation. Hmmm.... maybe I should take a course on Buddhism just in case.

Waking up in Thailand

Thoughts on SE Asia - by Dave
Mornings here in Chiang Mai start at dawn. I thought chickens were farm animals, but here they are kept even in the big cities. The Roosters start about 4 am, which gets the dogs barking soon after. As the day starts, the cooking smells of spicy foods wakes everyone else up who might still be asleep. The first chores of the locals in this town seems to be Laundry. Down all the small side-streets and lanes, women are out with buckets of water washing clothes. Soon all the side-streets are full of colorful clothing hanging in the sun, to dry by end of day.
There are lots of puppies and kittens playing in the streets, but I've noticed there doesn't seem to be many older dogs or cats. It's a tough life here. It makes me wonder about that "chicken" curry last night. Actually, it was really tasty.
I had another traditional Thai massage yesterday. This time it was run by the local Thai Institute for the Blind. Great massage, all done by blind men and women. It was not as rough as the one done by the women inmates.
The other day, I had the best Thai meal, in a small family run restaurant. They also teach cooking courses. It has really helped taking that Thai cooking course, as I now know most of the ingredients, and usually the best dishes to to order. The spices here are a perfect blend of "heat" and "taste", not too much flame, although I had an ice cold lager ready to put out the flames if needed.

Photos of Thailand
https://photos.app.goo.gl/d2Fxt4Lfhko8JHnr6

Mae Hong Song - Northern Thailand

A quick note from Mae Hong Song in northern Thailand. Had a great time in Chiang Mai, and did a one day Thai Cooking, which was much better than I thought it would be.

Met up with Tamar from Holland and we're traveling together right now. We're in a small mountain town in NW Thailand near the Burmese border. It's beautiful here, with almost no tourists The buses are a bit uncomfortable, but not too bad. We're seeing an authentic Thai Boxing match tonight. We might be the only tourist there Have to run.

Dave arrived safe and sound

Hi,

Just a quick note to say I arrived in Chiang Mai yesterday, safe and sound. The 21-hour flight was actually not that bad. No issues.

Had a Thai Massage yesterday from a Massage school run in a Women's Prison. Weird ehh? I didn't know what to expect, but it turned out great. They run the Massage school to help the inmates earn some money for when they are released, as well as to learn a skill. The massage was excellent.. they are really trained well and I felt great after getting all the kinks out, after a long flight.

Off today to a nearby national park.

Cheers,

Dave

4 Months in SE Asia - pre-trip planning

Man, I can’t believe I’m almost ready for this trip. Well, maybe not mentally ready, but at least the physical preparations are almost done. Although I’ve done some Business travel fairly recently, I’ve not done this type of long term traveling since the late 70’s when I toured around Europe for 9 months. Do you think backpack type traveling has changed a tad bit since then? I guess we’ll see.

The pre-trip preparations for 4 months in SE Asia has been a bit overwhelming at times….. what to take, how to pack, health concerns, first aid kit, immunizations, insurance, tickets, visas, money management, travel security, traveling alone, booking flights and hotels, guidebooks, maps, itineraries, travel photography, blogging (what the hell is that?), and lots of decisions to make. It will be a relief to finally board the plane and just get this epic underway.

Being your basic procrastinator, it’s amazing I get anything done at all really. Have you ever noticed that the more time you have the longer it takes to get anything done.

On Jan. 13, I fly to Chiang Mai, Thailand, via Vancouver, Hong Kong, with an overnight in Bangkok. I haven't checked how many hours of flying yet, but it's probably more than a couple.